Christ Church - Houston, Texas
Posted by: 
JimmyEv
N 29° 45.566 W 095° 21.688
15R E 271661 N 3294465
This 1893 Gothic-revival church, with beautiful stained glass windows and a peaceful magnolia-shaded courtyard, houses the second Episcopalian parish in Texas.
Waymark Code: WMREX
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 09/26/2006
Views: 36
The second Episcopalian parish in Texas was established by 39 Virginians in Houston on Easter Monday, April 1, 1839. Their first church, a wooden structure, was built at this site in 1844. A few other structures followed, with the present church being built in 1893. In 1949, this church became the Cathedral of the Episcopalian Diocese of Texas.
The architects, J. Arthur Tempest and Silas McBee, were both parishioners. McBee believed that Gothic Revival perfectly expressed the composition, tone and proportions for religious buildings. The building is decorated with intricate brickwork molded into arches and inset crosses. The walls are formed into stepped parapets with windows of beautiful stained glass.
Although the interior remains virtually unaltered since its completion, you can't go into the main building unless you're going to services. You can eat lunch at the Cloister Restaurant in the magnolia-shaded courtyard of the church Monday-Friday 11am-1:30pm. They serve-up Cajun/Creole food from Treebeard's on Market Square. Hot sauce is on the table – you’ll probably need it. On Texas Avenue, interpretive signs on lamp posts and a historical marker explain the history of the church.
Main Street/Market Square Historic District
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Houston Post-Dispatch
Source:
Texas Historical Commission, "Christ Church," available at Texas Historical Atlas